Well, there’s one basic fact that explains the pretentions, very high prices, lack of soul and authenticity, calculated marketing. One of the owners (both?) is a LAWYER first! What did you expect? This as far from a raised...

Here’s what I’d suggest: Hang out in Brentwood a bit...go for some Rotisserie Chicken and Fries at Reddi-Chick at the Brentwood Country Mart...I live about 4 blocks from there, and I’ve seen a number of...

and 30% vegetable oil. In 1967 they stopped because this is a labor intensive process that was forcing them to raise their prices at a time when Burger King, Gino’s and others were using frozen potatoes. Until 1981 or '82...

) Zankou Chicken (chicken, tarna, mutabal, etc.) Thai restaurants in Thai town (let us know if you want names) Chinese restaurants of every region in the San Gabriel valley (ditto for names) El Tepeyac (the Hollenbeck burrito) El...

recommended to heat the wok first. I’ve always been taught to get your oil hot before you add anything, but of course you dont want to burn your garlic! If you burn garlic better to start all over with new oil or lower the...

Kosher salt is the best stuff in the world for roasting foods. Sprinkled on top of vegetables or especially chiken and other meats, it creates a nice coating and adds well to the browning process. For a good example of this, buy...

!) Non-chowhounds would defintely sneer or turn up their noses at some of them. I could never for the life of me understand why they would not at least try them! I was fortunate to have been raised with the theory –...

Small cafe with local, often organic ingredients, organic chicken, handmade cheese, good bread. Coffee from a local roaster. Unusual sodas in bottles. Several places like this in Los Angles. A little more expensive than the...

Rory, and wholesale poor planning from the Orange team. (I can’t point a finger at Mr. NY Cigar Guy who used chicken stock in his polenta for vegetarians, tho. I once used oyster sauce in a stir-fried broccoli dish I made...

It REALLY matters. Why do you think there has been so much hubbub and rhubarb over school lunches of late? People develop their tastes early on and we are the generations that were raised w/ lots of fatty and sugary convenience...

try this because, for some reason, spicy foods fill me more than bland ones. A typical snack for me would be celery sticks with hot salsa dip. In the winter I like a cup of chicken broth with a shot of Cholula or sriracha. I bet...

they went to baking them in the US. Canadians don’t seem to have gotten quite the health faddishness with their foods as in the US, praise be (or they are smarter, since those modification by McDonald’s in the US...

well, I have trouble with semantics so interchaning haute and upscale is common for me. From now on I will call it, unique, inspired, global cuisine perpared for food lovers. I was born and raised in the Bay, so I dont really have...

is that the benefitting organizations send ‘ambassadors’ to the restaurant to circulate among the guests, talk about the good work they do, try to get people to buy raffle tickets to raise additional money, etc...all...

. Stay away from the celery water they call chicken soup, though. Unless it’s improved in the 8 months since I’ve been there.